Vladimir Putin’s Star Shines Over Washington, D.C.

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of the Russian Federation, has saved President Barack Obama from a humiliating defeat in the U.S. Congress, caused in part by his bungling Secretary of State John Kerry. Kerry’s bellicose speeches helped push President Obama into a “red line” corner and to the brink of war with Syria.
Luckily, cooler minds prevailed at the Kremlin.

President Putin is now poised to rid Syria of chemical weapons and he is attempting to unite the world against al-Qaeda’s growing army in Syria, an army being funded by America’s “allies.” One would think that President Putin would be the toast of official Washington, D.C. due to his brilliant diplomacy and that of his Foreign Minister Sergey Victorovich Lavrov, yet that is not the case. Despite that, common people do recognize President Putin’s efforts, as will hopefully the Nobel Committee in Oslo.

This week the American people were embarrassed by the crude opinion piece written by Congressman Philip “Buck” McKeon and published in The Moscow Times. The ill-mannered Congressman refers to President Putin as simply “Putin.” When one has nothing positive to say, one resorts to insults. Congressman McKeon, a long time supporter of dictators in Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Yemen and Egypt, attacks the democratically elected President of Russia for human rights violations! Congressman McKeon’s opinion piece can best be used to wrap up old fish.

The chemical attacks in the Markaz Rif Dimashq district located east and south of Damascus do merit a firm international response, as do the previous chemical incidents in Syria. The evidence hints that both sides may have used these banned weapons. The legality of such use was placed into question by the July 8, 1996 decision of the United Nation’s International Court of Justice. It found that the use of nuclear weapons was not necessarily illegal, if a State’s survival was at stake. That dubious and unfortunate decision apparently voids any war crimes prosecutions for using any weapon of mass destruction by a State engaged in a war (internal or external).

The world should be united in (a) assisting the Syrian refugees, especially as winter is approaching, and (b) forcing all sides to the conference table. Russia is leading this effort, but Turkey and Jordan have to cease their meddling in Syrian affairs and support the peace process. Let us hope that the West will join Russia in forging a peace for the Syrian people.